1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to syringe sets or injectors and heating devices for the same. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a syringe set incorporating carbon nanotubes as a heating device.
2. Description of Related Art
During many medical procedures, various pharmaceuticals and medical fluids are injected into living organisms for purposes of diagnosis or treatment via syringes or injectors. Conventionally, a syringe and medical fluid therein may be warmed to a temperature near body temperature before the medical fluid is injected into a patient's circulatory system. Heating the medical fluid provides a benefit of reducing patient discomfort by reducing temperature mismatch. An additional benefit of heating the medical fluid is reduction in viscosity, which permits the medical fluid to be injected with less effort or at a higher rate.
Conventionally, the syringe carrying the medical fluid is held at approximately body temperature in a heated enclosure, such as a warmer box, and is transferred away from the warmer box shortly before the medical procedure is scheduled to commence. After being removed from the warmer box, the syringe and medical fluid immediately begin to cool toward room temperature. The extent of the cooling depends upon the time delay before the injection commences and the duration of the injection. In some instances, the medical fluid is not injected for several minutes after the syringe is removed from the warmer box. This permits the temperature of the medical fluid to drop significantly before being delivered to a patient's circulatory system.